New Duo Should Greatly Enhance Defense for NY Rangers

Which duo is going to make the New York Rangers better this coming season?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offseason has certainly been a busy one for the New York Rangers, and this is a team that is hoping to be much-improved this coming year. 

Following a terrible campaign last year in which they came in last place, the goal for the Rangers was to improve quite a bit this summer. As expected with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, New York had no shortage of areas to address. 

The Rangers were able to accomplish quite a lot this summer in terms of improving, and the team is looking much better on paper. Up front, arguably the biggest move they made was the acquisition of Pavel Dorofeyev. 

At just 25 years old, he has already established himself as an elite goal scorer, which was a need for the Rangers. Coming off a 37-goal season, Dorofeyev is going to be a key part of the team for a long time. 

While addressing the offense was a need for the Rangers, so too was getting some help for their blueline. Even though New York has a great first pair defensively, the group behind them needed some help. 

This is certainly another area that was addressed for the team, with them landing Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi. As the likely second pair, this duo should help the team be better in this area. 

Second Pair Should Be Much-Improved

Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Marcus Pettersson (29) during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With a revamped second pair, the Rangers will be hoping to get a lot more from the unit overall, and there is a lot to like about what Durzi and Pettersson could bring to the team. 

After the season, both Mike Sullivan and Chris Drury spoke about a desire to bring in some defenseman that could move the puck well. Both Pettersson and Durzi can do that, and Pettersson had the best year of his career with Sullivan as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Coming off a down season, Pettersson will be hoping to bounce back with his new team, and there is certainly reason to believe that he will. Furthermore, while Durzi has had some problems staying on the ice at times, he could be a 40-point player for New York. 

Overall, there is a lot to like about this potential pairing, and the second pair will be much-improved for the Rangers. Now, while these two are expected to be together, it will be interesting to monitor the development of Alberts Smits. 

The fifth overall pick could be ready to start in the NHL right away, and if that’s the case, Sullivan might have to adjust his pairings.